The Power of Personal Evangelism

When multitudes respond to the invitation at one of our Crusades, two very important things are happening.

One is obvious: Many unbelievers are being saved, coming forward under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and trusting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The other is perhaps less dramatic but just as powerful: Many believers, for the first time, are helping others make a commitment to Christ.

Before every Crusade, thousands of people are trained through our Christian Life and Witness Course to effectively share their faith. My father organized the Christian Life and Witness Course more than 50 years ago for the purpose of training Crusade counselors. He wanted to make sure that everyone who came forward at a Crusade to begin a personal relationship with Christ also had an opportunity to meet a Christian who could help them in their new walk with the Savior.

Our training team teaches these five-week courses at churches around the world, leading participants through biblical steps for joyful, fruitful evangelism. As we provide the training and the setting to help Christians share Christ, we take another step toward fulfilling the Great Commission to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.

Jesus called all His followers to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Some Christians have a special spiritual gift for evangelism, but we all can learn to lead others to saving faith in Christ. Everyone knows someone who needs the Lord.

Through the Christian Life and Witness Course, millions of Christians in hundreds of cities around the world have learned effective ways to become disciple-makers. So a Crusade doesn’t end when our team moves on to the next city–not as long as faithful Christians continue to spread the Gospel to their friends and neighbors.

We’ve applied the same principles to the My Hope World Television Project. Working through local churches, we train families to share their faith and encourage them to invite their friends and neighbors into their homes to watch our telecasts. In just four years, 2.7 million people have been trained to share their faith. No wonder the My Hope project has been one of the most effective ministries we’ve ever launched.

We are grateful for everyone who has participated in the Christian Life and Witness Course over the decades. If you have not had this opportunity and would like help and encouragement in witnessing for Christ, you may want to attend the classes we have scheduled in June at The Billy Graham Training Center.

Jesus called Peter and his brother to become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18). And after decades of ministry, Peter left these instructions for others who would carry on after him: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).